A Hanyou's Story
by Wandering-Mind 95
Summary: It all began with a simple action. No one knew the consequences it would bring. A completely different Fem!Naru is born. With blood-stained hands, will she ever accept herself? Akatsuki one step behind her and a mysterious group another, can she be saved?
1. Prolouge

**A Hanyou's Story**

**Summary: **~Abandoned by her mother at birth, abused by her village. Hakari finds love in the most unexpected person, or should I say demon. KyuuNaru Fem!Naru OOC Sakura Bashing~

Well this is one of my Female Naruto stories. Please be nice as this is my first time writing a story and posting it.

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Disclaimer:

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

"Blah"~normal speech

'Blah'~thoughts

"_**Blah"~flashbacks**_

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My name is Namikaze-Uzumaki Hikari, and this is my story. When I was born my family abandoned me. My father ruined my life, and my mother left me.

The day I was born, Kyuubi, a nine tailed fox, attacked Konoha, and my father, as the Yondaime, it was his duty to protect the village. He had recently created a sealing justu that would call upon the shinigami to take the soul of his opponent, but at a price. The user had to sacrifice his soul to the shinigami, which meant that both of the sides would die.

That night on October 10, by father became a hero, while I became the demon. He somehow altered the seal so that the Shinigami only took his soul and the Kyuubi's was sealed inside of me. But I don't hate him because if he never sealed Kyuubi in me, I never would have meet Kyo and feel in love.

'Oh Kami, I might have been a Sasuke Fan-girl.'

But my mother is a different story. She isn't dead. You might be thinking, "What the hell, why are you alone then?" Well you see, after she found out what Father did, she packed up all her things and left to Kami knows where, leaving me here to fend on my own to a village who only wish is to see me dead. Can you feel the love?

Well enough about my loving family. I bet your wondering who this Kyo is that I feel in love with? Kyo happens to be the Kyuubi. That's right, the one who attacked my village and who was sealed in my gut. You see, when I was 3 years old I was kicked out of the orphanage. Cruel isn't it? So I was left by myself on the streets of Hell. A few months later I met Kyo. We became friends fast. He taught me how to protect myself and I changed his cage into a forest with a house.

About a month after we met, he told me everything about what happened that night. He said he was out hunting for his clan, since he was the strongest, when they were attacked. When he came back from hunting he found his whole clan slaughtered. Kyo panicked, his whole family was killed, it was his job to protect them and he failed. He wanted revenge. Kyo said the den reeked of snakes and on the ground was a Konoha headband. Kyo did the most logically thing to him at the time. That was to follow the scent and get his revenge. And you know the rest.

At the time he told me this I still hated my family. But Kyo told me of what father did and asked me not to hate him. It took me awhile but I thought of him as my father again. But my mother didn't have a reason to leave me. I heard all about her. Her name was Kushina, and was a kunoichi of Whirlpool. Kushina came to Konoha to help in the Konoha-Iwa War, but met father and fell in love. After the war was over they got married. A year later I was born and Kyo-kun attacked. She abandoned me when she found out what happened on the battle field. She abandoned me to a village that abused, beat and ruined me.

To me, Namikaze Kushina is all but dead. She is just a person that I happen to share the same name with.

A year after Kyo-kun told me this we became a lot closer. I was told that there happened to be a flaw in the seal. That flaw could release him but I would become a hanyou as would he, and his powers would split between us.

**2 years later:**

The time finally came for me to release him into the real world. We had already known what we were going to do. I was to summon him to the outside world, in his human form and Kyo would do the rest. Kyo had picked his human form to be 7 years old. That's a year older than me. He can choose what age he wants to be but once he's that age he can't change again. The reason he chose 7 was because he could watch over me better and we would be together more. But I think the real reason is because he is so cute in this form. He has short spiky, blood-red hair, along with ruby red eyes. He has one of the brightest smiles, only I'm aloud to see it though. He has a 6 pack along with developed muscles. (No big muscles, they are not good on a ninja and besides he's only 7). And he is 4'2, an inch taller than me. Now I know you're thinking, "Holy shit you guys are small." But it makes our enemy's underestimate us and it's not really our fault that the only place that sells me food is the ramen stand. And ramen lacks the vitamins' needed to grow.

The other day we went to Grandpa's to see if we could start the Academy early. At first he was a bit hesitant about Kyo but after I explained to him why he did it and that he was my best friend, he gave in and accepted him as one of his grandchildren. He also had a funny look on his face when I explained Kyo's reason for attacking. This my friends, is how we me Konohamaru, grandson of Grandpa. But that's a story for later. So Grandpa enrolled both me and Kyo into the 2nd year. So I was two years younger and Kyo was a year younger than our classmates.

Now Kyo is a thousand year old former demon, who has been fighting ninja's for decades, and also has a lot of knowledge on a variety of subjects. And I am half demon, with half of Kyo's power who has also been teaching me since I was 3. What do you think was the most logically thing we did when we started the Academy? Pay attention and be good? Kami no. Do you not know what a kitsune is? Fall asleep and still come out on top? Nice guess, but no. How about, make a kage-bushin, have it go to the Academy and then have it fall asleep from boredom, while the real you goes and trains? If you guessed this, you're right. But I think Grandpa knows we skip class because he knows everything that we do.

Oh, I'm terribly sorry I didn't mention where we live and train. Well when Gramps enrolled us into the Academy, he gave me some of my inheritance. This included my grandparent's house. And since father was planning on having his family move into this house he made it big and added two different types of training grounds. Kyo and I spend most of our time in either father's personal library or at the training grounds. Since we started spending time in father's library, Kyo has had more respect for him. Sometimes when Gramps comes to check on us, he'll find us asleep in there.

**4 years later:**

Well this is our last year at the Academy. Kyo and I get to graduate early because Gramps knows our true strength and also knows that we would never show it in the Academy. So I'm graduating at the age of 10, just like father and Kyo-kun is graduating at the age of 11.

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Well this is the prologue.

Review and if you find something that could be corrected please message me about it.

**Preview:**

"She's what? Why now? What does she want with me now?" Hikari shouted.

"Hime please calm down. Now who is our sensei?" Kyo replied calmly.

"Well he's a very strong ninja if you want to know. He can even rival me when he gets serious." Sarutobi replied. "He is…"

He is interrupted by loud giggling.

'What the hell'

'Oh Kami, a pervert.'

'Will you ever grow up?'

"This children, is your new sensei. The legendary Toad Sannin." The Hokage announced.

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EDIT: So I went back through and fixed some mistakes that I found and also added a few new details so you won't be confused by what happens later.


	2. Start of the Rest of Our Lives

**A Hanyou's Story**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own Naruto or any of the characters. **

**Chapter 2: Start of the Rest of Our Lives**

As the sun rose above Konohagakure, two young shinobi in training were fighting each other in an underground room. These two happen to be Uzumaki (Namikaze) Hikari and Uzumaki Kyo. After finishing their fight they both went to their respective rooms and changed into something clean. Before they started to the Academy they decided to visit the Sandaime.

"Good morning Gramps. Such a fine morning for the future shinobi of Konoha, don't you think?" Hikari asked with big eyes.

"You know he won't tell you our teams." Kyo stated bluntly with a straight face.

"Damn it Kyo, you don't know that! Besides he loves me and it's also my birthday."

"Sorry 'Kari but you know the rules. Just because your team is going to be different doesn't mean that I can change them."

'Smooth old man.'

"Now don't you two have to be somewhere?"

"You'll be there afterwards won't you?" She asked as if she didn't really care but both of the men in the room knew that she would be devastated if he didn't show.

"Of course I will. Can I have a word with you Kyo, alone?" Hikari caught the drift and exited through the window.

"You know they made a door for a reason?" Sarutobi said more to himself.

"Yeah, now can you hurry up and tell me what's so important that 'Kari couldn't be in the room to hear?"

"When do you plan on telling her the truth?" Sarutobi asked turning dead serious, "You can't keep letting her think that about her."

"I don't want her to think that way about _her,_ but I was different back then and _she_ was the only thing standing between me and freedom. It was stupid of me to tell her that story in the first place but I can't tell her the truth, she'll hate me!"

"Maybe, but you don't know until you try. She'll find out eventually you know. A few people know the truth and they will tell her." Realization dawned on Kyo's face at that. "You have maybe a month at most to tell her."

"I'll try to tell her tonight."

"Good luck today." Kyo understood both meanings of the sentence.

"What did Gramps want to tell you?"

"Something concerning the past. It's nothing important."

Knowing that he didn't want to talk about it, Hikari let it go.

"Now that everyone is here I would like to once again congratulate you all and wish you luck on your difficult path ahead of you. The road you've chosen is not easy, but that is why you are sitting in front of me today. All of you are the best of your generation and in each one of you burns the 'Will of Fire'." Silence followed his little speech. No one dared to speak knowing that right now was really important.

"Team 1 will consist of…"

The same went for 2-6.

"Team 7 will be Uzumaki Hikari, Uzumaki Kyo, and Yomiko Sumari. The Hokage felt he should tell you your sensei in person as he has not filled in a name. Team 8 will be Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino. Your sensei will be Yuhi Kurenai."

"Gotta feel sorry for Shika. The only girls left are Yamanaka and Haruno."

"Tch. Troublesome girls." This earned his glares from said girls until they realized that one of them was going to be on Sasuke's team, in which case they resumed glaring at each other.

"Team 9 will be Haruno Sakura, Sai…, and Uchiha Sasuke. Your sensei will be Hatake Kakashi." A shriek came from Haruno while Yamanaka sighed in defeat.

"A fan girl, a fake, and an avenger. What a great team!" Kyo whispered to Hikari.

"Team 10 will be Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji, and Yamanaka Ino. Your sensei will be Sarutobi Asuma. Now that you have your teams, I wish you the best of luck on you shinobi career."

"That sneaky old bastard! He did that on purpose."

"Now, he did say that our team was going to be different so maybe he doesn't want the other teams to be jealous of our sensei." Kyo explained and then added an afterthought. "Not that we need one anyway." Everyone moved away as fast as they could when they saw the look on his face after that. One could say they saw the Kyuubi.

"Whatever. I'll be outside."

"Don't be too long now, I can't stand the thought of being all alone in here with defenseless children." He ended with a chuckle. Everyone once again, moved farther away.

"Whatever, you're a big boy do what you want." And with that she left.

"Tch, what crawled up her butt and died?"

"The question is, not what crawled up, but came out."

Kyo loved giving these little clues to Shikamaru because he would always get so worked up over them, as he could never solve them.

One by one the teams started to leave with their sensei, until only Team 7 and 9 remained.

Hikari had returned about 20 minutes prior to the last team leaving and was in a silent conversation with Sumari while Kyo observed Sai with a calculating eye.

Something was off about that kid, that much he knew, but no matter how much he tried, he could never figure out why and now he had a perfect shot to get some answers.

"Hello, would you be so kind as to have a conversation with me?" Kyo asked as politely as he could.

Hikari paused in her conversation with Sumari to see what Kyo was doing. Everyone else also paused and looked over.

"Sure." Sai responded with a fake smile. Kyo had to hold a sneer.

"What is your family name? I never saw you around the village until you started the Academy."

"I do not have a family name as I am an orphan."

"Yes but even then you would have lived at the orphanage, where we were."

"I was brought in on a mission, where I was the only survivor." His fake smile only became larger.

As he talked, Kyo could see the lie clearly and realized that he was right. Something wasn't right about this kid. Also he sensed a foreign chakra emitting from him.

"That would explain it then. Sorry for bothering you with my curiosity." Kyo started to walk towards Hikari, giving her a meaningful look that only she understood. She nodded towards him, showing she understood.

Both looked towards the door when they felt a chakra signature behind it. A mess of silver gravity defying hair appeared.

"My first impression, I hate you. Meet me on the roof. Team 7, Hokage-sama is waiting for you outside." With that he disappeared with a puff of smoke.

"Well I guess we-." Sumari started before she realized that both her teammates had already left. She followed with a heavy sigh.

When Sumari made it outsid she was met with Hikari glaring at the Hokage, who was chuckling, while Kyo was fidgeting. 'So begins my life.' With that Sumari joined her team.

Sarutobi insisted they continue their conversation in his office, so this is where we can find them deep in conversation.

"Now, I hope you three know that the Chunnin Exams are being held in Konoha this year, right?" he waited for their confirmation before continuing, "It has come to our attention that Uzushio has been rebuilt and wishes to participate. They plan to send two teams. The sensei of one of the squads is one who the two of you are familiar with, Uzumaki Kushina." He paused here knowing that there would be an outburst. He was correct.

"She's what! Why now? What does she want?" Hikari shouted.

"Hime please calm done. Now that that's out of the way, can you tell us who our sensei is?" Kyo asked while glancing at Hikari now and then.

"Well he is a very strong ninja if you want to know. He can even rival me when he gets serious." Sarutobi replied. "He is…"

He was interrupted by loud giggling.

'What the hell!'

'Oh kami, a pervert.'

'Why me?'

'Will you ever grow up?'

"This children, is your new sensei; the legendary Toad Sannin." Sarutobi sighed out.

"Are you kidding me? This pervert is going to be our sensei?

"Who are you calling a pervert? I'll have you know that I am not a pervert! I am a…SUPER PERVERT! Oomph." Sumari had kicked him in the nether regions at the end of his speech.

"So I see team bonding is going well. I'll leave you to continue. See you tonight at dinner Kyo, Hikari." Sarutobi left chuckling.

"So you taught my father didn't you?"

"Yeah. Namikaze Minato, he was a shinobi you see once in a lifetime. It's a shame he died so young, especially when he finally had you."

Kyo looked uncomfortable at this, knowing it was partly his fault.

"Okay enough about the past, tell me about yourselves; Sumari, you first."

"I'm Yomiko Sumari. I like animals, miso ramen, painting, and my friends. I hate fanboys and fangirls, along with most of the villagers. I've been searching for my twin sister since the massacre of my family. My goal is to find out what happened to her."

"You're on your way to becoming a fine shinobi already; Kyo you next."

"As you all know, I am Uzumaki Kyo. I like only Hikari and Old Man Sarutobi, along with foxes. I dislike the villagers and a certain founder. My dream is to kill a certain founder and marry 'my' Hikari." Here he gave Hikari a foxy smirk, forcing her to look away.

"Hem, okay, moving on." Jiraiya spoke out loud while thinking of all the new material he would be able to obtain.

"My name is Namikaze Hikari. I love Old Man Sarutobi and Kyo, along with ramen and foxes. I dislike a majority of the villagers and my 'mother'. My dream is to become even greater than my father and find my missing friend."

"I guess it's my turn. I am Jiraiya, one of the Sannin of Konoha. Your team will be the second I've ever taught and my goal is to make sure you all survive and reach your goals. My likes and dislikes are not of your concern right now. We will begin team training tomorrow at 8 in the morning on top of the Hokage Monument."

As they started to leave Jiraiya call Hikari back, but motioned the other two to continue on.

"Hikari I need to talk with you for a moment." He decided not to beat around the bush. "Why do you hate your mother so much?"

"Why wouldn't I? She abandoned me at birth because she thought I was a demon. She has no right to call herself a mother."

"Who told you that? She loved you; so much that she was willing to put her life on the line just to have you."

"What do you mean?"

"Were you ever told what your mother was? She was just like-."

"Hikari, what's taking so long?" Kyo interrupted before Jiraiya could tell the truth. Jiraiya gave him a search glance before walking past him. "You can't lie to her forever, Kyuubi." was whispered in the wind.

"What was that all about Kyo? Never mind, I'm going home. Do whatever you want." She growled out.

'How do I tell her? If she finds out from someone else she'll hate me, but if I do tell her she'll be devastated. I'm a demon lord; I shouldn't be scared of doing something like this!'

"Kami, why do you hate me? Cursing me to live inside three different Uzumaki women, for over half a century!"

He decided not to head home and instead took off into the forest where he wandered around for the night, thinking of ways to tell Hikari the truth.

"Sensei, why didn't you tell me?"

"I was for your own good. You had your spy network to focus on and that would have only served as a distraction."

"No, it was my right to know. They made me her godfather!"

Sarutobi looked up at his aging student.

"Times are becoming troublesome Jiraiya. Unrest has spread across the land. Peace has not been seen for this long of time since the reign of Hashirama-sensei. Even then, a war soon followed."

"What are you trying to get at? You think a war might be brewing; between who?"

"Between who, I am not yet sure. But I know it will be great, surpassing all previous." Sarutobi stated grimly.

Jiraiya was speechless. Nothing in his spy network indicated a brewing of a war, but his sensei has never been wrong.

"Train them well Jiraiya, and become someone precious to her, so when I die I can die knowing she will be in god hands."

"What do you foresee that would lead to your death? Tell me Sarutobi!"

"Only time."

"Begin preparations. We leave in exactly 1 month." A women's voice called out.

'I'm coming for you, Hikari.'

"I need two teams to observe the upcoming Chunnin Exams." A commanding voice rang out.

"We will go."

"Do not engage. You are merely there to observe."

"Hai" Four voices rang out in understanding.

"Dismissed."

"In just 1 month all our plans will fall into place. Konoha will fall, Sarutobi will be dead, and Sasuke will be mine."

"And of course, don't forget about Akatsuki."

"Soon all will fall to the might of my power!"

'So it begins. It will soon be time to reveal myself to the world once again.'

*******AN UPDATE YEAAAAAA!*******

I finally decided to get my ass in motion an start writing on my amazing, unforeseen 5 day weekend (thank you Mr. Frosty for the snow and ice). The new semester is starting tomorrow though and I, due to the idiocy of my school, am taking 3 honors classes in a 4 block schedule. So I will probably have homework every night. Also fusal (indoor soccer) will be starting soon.

**On to the preview:**

"Do we _have_ to? I mean they're so easy."

"How about this, you go to Wave with treaty for trade and if you succeed in acquiring the signature of the mayor, then I will allow your team an A-Ranked Mission."

"You. Are. On. Old Man."

"This wasn't in the mission!"

"We are shinobi; emotions are not needed on missions."

"Who are you?"

"RUN, you're no longer safe!"

"Ane?"

"I was right, she is no longer controllable. She must be eliminated."


	3. Decode

**A Hanyou's Story**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own Naruto or any of the characters.**

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"_**Times are becoming troublesome Jiraiya. Unrest has spread across the land. Peace has not been seen for this long of time since the reign of Hashirama-sensei. Even then, a war soon followed."**_

"_**What are you trying to get at? You think a war might be brewing; between who?"**_

"_**Between who, I am not yet sure. But I know it will be great, surpassing all previous." Sarutobi stated grimly.**_

_**Jiraiya was speechless. Nothing in his spy network indicated a brewing of a war, but his sensei has never been wrong.**_

"_**Train them well Jiraiya, and become someone precious to her, so when I die I can die knowing she will be in god hands."**_

"_**What do you foresee that would lead to your death? Tell me Sarutobi!"**_

"_**Only time."**_

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'_**So it begins. It will soon be time to reveal myself to the world once again.'**_

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**Chapter 3: Decode**

"Ah, Team 7! You're back already!" Sarutobi announced cheerfully, ignoring the cuts and bruises littering the team's bodies.

"Here's your damn demon cat, lady!" Hikari shoved the cat into the women's' arms.

"Hikari, this is our client, show some respect!"

"Well maybe if she didn't lose that cat every 4 hours, I would." Hikari shouted, pointing at the women.

The Daimyo's wife looked indigent but before she could say anything, Tora jumped out of her arms and out the window.

"TORAAAA!"

"Iruka tell Team 8 to find Tora."

Iruka left to deliver the message but not before giving Hikari a meaningful look.

"Now I have a few D-ranked missions I feel you can handle-"

"Do we _have_ to? I mean they're so easy." She whined.

"How about this, you go to Wave with treaty for trade and if you succeed in acquiring the approval of the mayor, then I will allow your team an A-Ranked Mission."

"You. Are. On. Old Man." With that Hikari jumps out the window, heading home to pack.

Sumari silently giggled at her teammate's action while Jiraiya shook his head. Kyo reaction was completely different.

"Why did you do that? Now all I'm going to hear about is this bet! And she didn't even stay to meet the client. You owe me for this." He growled at the older man.

Sarutobi chuckled at this because he loved getting under the great Kyuubi's fur. Also, this happens about three times a week so it's nothing unusual, well nothing unusual for them at least.

Jiraiya couldn't believe that he was stuck with these immature children. They had no manners and were too high on something!

"Please send in the client." Sarutobi ordered the guard outside.

Kyo tuned the whole thing out, not bothering to correct the man's assumptions that they were some weak little children. Inwardly though he was thanking kami that Hikari wasn't in the room. Knowing her, which he did, she would've blown up at the man.

Hearing the dismissal, Kyo disappeared back to the Namikaze Manor where he found Hikari already packed waiting for him at the door.

"What took you so long? I was beginning to think you got lost." She sneered at him.

"Someone had to stay behind for the mission briefing and it surely wasn't you." He countered.

They continued staring at each other until Hikari could no longer stand it. She burst out laughing falling onto Kyo in the process.

"So where are we meeting?"

"North gate, 20 minutes. But I figured we should wait there and send a few summons of ahead of us."

"Send Seichi and Yuki, they're the best." After she finished, Hikari jumped onto Kyo's back, forcing him to give her a piggy-back ride.

~20 Minutes later~

When the rest of the team arrived they witnessed Kyo and Hikari having yet another starring contest. What they didn't know was this was their way of communicating. They would give little signals with their eyes.

'_Tell me why? I'm not going to survive with my sanity!'_ Sumari moaned to herself when Hikari once again broke into a laughing fit. Everyone else looked at the smug Kyo, a little uneasy.

"Time to move out. Formation as follows: Kyo up-top, Sumari left wing, Hikari right wing, and I will be bringing up the back."

"Sensei-" Kyo waited for acknowledgement before continuing. "-we have information that there are enemy ninja's hidden along the path. It would be safer if we were to take a different, less traveled path." At Jiraiya's questioning look, Kyo shifted his eyes to the two foxes playing with Hikari. Jiraiya understood immediately.

"You know what path to take I presume?" That was his way of telling Kyo to take charge of the mission. It was a test for him because Jiraiya didn't fully trust him yet, not that he blamed him.

Under Kyo guide, they made it to the docks on time without incident. Once they reached the other side Kyo began to feel chakra permeating throughout the air. It was the sign that a wide range jutsu had just been cast. With quick signals, everyone was on high alert. Tazuna was worried about his safety being in the hands of these kids but put his trust in their sensei.

Out of nowhere, two ninjas appeared heading straight for Tazuna; they were intercepted by Sumari. Her and Hikari each took out one while Kyo was alert for any other enemies.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have, the famous Toad Sennin, Jiraiya." A figure appeared in the fog.

"Last time I saw you, you tried assassinating the Mizukage, Zabuza." Jiraiya casually stated as if it was an everyday occurrence.

"This wasn't in the mission!" Sumari whispered harshly to Tazuna, who looked ashamed at being caught.

"Momochi Zabuza, killed everyone in a graduating class when not even at the Academy himself, member of the now disband Seven Swordsman of the Mist, and now a rogue for the attempted assassination of the 4th Mizukage. Did I miss anything important?" Hikari challenged the man.

"As a matter of fact yes." A voice suddenly spoke behind her. Whipping around, Hikari was in shock that someone could sneak up on her. "Names not important but you missed the fact about him working for Gato the past few months."

His attitude set both Kyo and Hikari's senses on high alert. Something was not right about this man. His cheery attitude offset his deadly aura. This guy was more than he appeared.

"Who are you?"

"No! It can't be; you died!" Jiraiya whispered in disbelief before realizing the situation they were in. "RUN, you're no longer safe! This guy, he's way out of your league."

"I'm glad you remember me Jiraiya. I feel so honored that I let a lasting impression." The man responded, though you could see the inhuman bloodlust in his eyes.

Just then something snapped in Hikari, something pushing at her to destroy this man in front of her. It was pointless though because he had her pinned to the ground with a kunai to her neck.

"Namikaze Hikari, age: 10, rank: Gennin, daughter of the Minato and Kushina. That's you is it not." The man taunted before leaning closer so only she could hear his next words. "Container of the Kyuubi otherwise known as Kyo, 15 murdered in cold-blood by your hand, and cousins with Deidara, S-ranked shinobi. Anything else I'm missing?"

Bringing his head up, he addressed everyone else. "You're just children pretending to be shinobi. If I wanted, you could be dead before you realize it. But then again some of you are still needed." At this he looked to Kyo, who looked feral at the position he had 'his' Hikari in. But he dare not move as the man had the advantage.

"Just hand over the bridge builder and my comrade and I will be going."

"Never! We are shinobi; emotions are not needed on missions. All that matters is completing the mission." Hikari growled from under him. Glancing down at her, he noticed her eyes had changed to that magnificent blood red he had been waiting for.

'_How much more until she loses control!' _The man had to be insane with how much he was enjoying this. "So I can kill everyone here and you wouldn't care as long as the mission was completed? Pity and here I thought Sarutobi was sorry excuse of a leader. But I must say if all shinobi think like you he must be doing something right."

What was holding Kyuubi's chakra back, was suddenly broken and Hikari was lost.

No one took notice to the bird that took off.

The bird landed in front of Danzo, who reviewed the recording it had on its neck.

* * *

"I was right, she is no longer controllable. She must be eliminated." He destroyed the camera and set about creating a plan to eliminate the threat of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, all the while oblivious to the threat far greater.

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**AN: I did it! OMG I sat here for a while but I finally got to an ending! It was hard cuz I've been at soccer all morning dying and I'm practically asleep now but I had to do this.  
If you see any mistakes tell me cuz I don't have the strength to look over it. **

**8/1/11**

**Preview:**

His actions and mannerism seemed to just set something off in Hikari and she was losing control faster and faster.

"Who are you?" He growled at the man who dared hurt what was his.

"I'm not surprised that you don't remember me, after all you have been trapped for the last 60-70 years."

"Answer the question! Who are you and what do you want?"

"Look what my mere presence did to your darling Hikari! Trust me I can do much worse."


	4. We Are Broken

_**A Hanyou's Story**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not and will never own Naruto. Credit for Sumari goes to BlackCat7809.**_

_**Please review! I feel like I'm failing because of the lack of reviews. I will accept anything!**_

* * *

_**'**__**How much more until she loses control!' **__**The man had to be insane with how much he was enjoying this. "So I can kill everyone here and you wouldn't care as long as the mission was completed? Pity and here I thought Sarutobi was sorry excuse of a leader. But I must say if all shinobi think like you he must be doing something right."**_

_**What was holding Kyuubi's chakra back, was suddenly broken and Hikari was lost.**_

**Chapter 3: Pieces of Me**

Jinchuuriki: A container of a tailed beast. Gifted with unimaginable power, they are often feared and isolated from society, never becoming more than a tool for their nation. When under extreme emotion it is said that the container will lose control and in turn become a mini-version of their prisoner. Records support these theories on many occasions. Witnesses have claimed the charka took the form of a cloak around the container, who became more and more aggressive the longer they remained in this form. If ever in the proximity of such a thing, flee! Do not try to suppress it; only a Seal-Master could possibility stand a chance.

Such power hasn't been felt in over 10 years, but with the dam broken everything was released. Hikari lost herself for the first time to all the rage and sorrow built up after so many years. She was unrecognizable with the red chakra pouring out and incasing her body.

The unknown ninja never took his eyes off Hikari; a hint of accomplishment could be seen in the deepest part of his eyes. His smirk never left his face, even as she attacked him without hesitation. His actions and mannerism seemed to just set something off in Hikari and she was losing control faster and faster.

"Pretty, pretty fox, all alone trapped in such a small box. Don't you want to flee? Chase it will be. Come, come, pretty, pretty fox!" The unknown man crackled gleefully. His attention may be on Hikari but Kyo somehow knew those words were directed at him. But what he didn't understand was why? Who was this man who could invoke such reaction from his 'Kari?

With no hesitation, (he was the Kyuubi!) he stepped forward to the challenge. As soon as Hikari sensed his presence, the charka resided, forcing her to collapse from the sheer exhaustion it caused her. Kyo didn't move when she hit the ground, trusting her safety for the first time to someone else.

"Who are you?" He growled at the man who dared hurt what was his.

"I'm not surprised that you don't remember me, after all you have been trapped for the last 60-70 years."

"Answer the question! Who are you and what do you want?"

"I'm here to make sure everything goes as planned. This is just the beginning, the drop of the pebble as they say. As of right now I'm am just the messenger, but it was never said that I couldn't have fun while delivering the message." His face became contorted with malicious glee.

That face, that grin, it stirred long forgotten memories of days long before the founding of the nations. Memories of anger, madness and sorrow but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember the importance of this man.

"And what exactly do you think you can do to me?" Kyo arrogantly questioned.

"Look what my mere presence did to your darling Hikari! Trust me I can do much worse."

"KYO! Back down. This man speaks the truth. You may not be able to remember him but I do. His power was unmatchable! It was only through the power of the Nidaime that he was stopped." Jiraiya ordered.

Biting his lip till blood was drawn, Kyo finally backed down knowing that he couldn't challenge this man with his team in danger.

"Fine! Give your message and be done with it." He growled, eyes now reflecting his burning rage.

With a grin equal to that of the devils, the man spoke, "Long ago we were hidden from the world, feared because of our power we were hunted down until we were believed to be nothing but legends. We answered a call for help and now you are no longer safe. Run little fox because soon everything will burn, ending with the two of you. So it begins again, what was started over 50 years ago." Kyo growl a warning when he directed the last part to the unconscious Hikari.

"You've delivered your message now leave." Jiraiya commanded.

"I never said I would leave, we're just having way to much fun, aren't we Zabuza?" The sound of metal clashing echoed through the air as Sumari blocked the deadly hit aimed at the bridge builder.

"You will not harm this man!" Sumari stated getting ready for the next strike.

**With Kyo:**

With the attention on Sumari and Zabuza, Kyo took his chance to check Hikari for permanent injuries. Satisfied that she was not in any danger, he repaired the blocks holding back his charka. Once that was done he gently moved a charka-healing hand across her head, waking her up.

"Kyo what happened, I can't remember anything." She asked groggily, still under the after effect of the transformation.

"Are you up to fighting?"

"Ya!"

"Remember our formation. One high, one low. One back, one front. Don't forget we go in at the first opening. Be prepared, it won't be like fighting me or your cousin."

Jiraiya had engaged the unknown man. At a quick glance it would seem like Jiraiya was losing but to his students, they knew better. He was bidding his time for the perfect strike. Turning their attention to Sumari and Zabuza, they saw a completely different story. Sumari was losing badly. Deciding they needed to step in now, Kyo launched a quick fire ball to gain the older shinobi's attention. While Kyo began to battle him, Hikari stayed back analyzing his movement, looking for any week spots she could exploit.

Finding that he favored an open fighting stance which screamed arrogant, Hikari launched a quick doten to trap his feet in the wide stance leaving his upper body useless for mobility.

Preparing his justu, Kyo was too slow to stop the senbon needles that came flying out of the trees. Finding their target, he found Zabuza, still trapped, unmoving. Before he could check for a pulse, he was pushed back by a Kiri ANBU. This grabbed the other battles attention.

"Well it seems that's my cue! I look forward to battling you again my dear Hikari, Kyo." With that he was gone is a swirl of fire.

* * *

"Do you mind explaining what those men wanted with you? My team was almost killed because you failed to provide complete information!"

"I'm so sorry! My village is extremely poor. There was no way we could afford a higher mission. Ever since Gato took over the village, all of our money has gone to him!" Tazuna cried out, unable to accept that this was all his fault.

"It doesn't matter; we could have died because you didn't tell us the truth! Tell me why we shouldn't return to the village right now?" Came Kyo's angry retort.

"My people are living in fear every minute of every day! I did what I had to, to try and save them!"

'Why didn't anyone try to help me? Why was I left all alone?' The lonely thoughts of Hikari surfaced. Images from her childhood began to resurface and she had to grab her head to lessen the pain that came with them. 'Blood…monster…demon…unloved…unwanted…murderer…'

Everything, images and voices, they all disappeared when Kyo wrapped his arms around her. His embrace showed the love she was always denied and made her feel safe. It brought back happier memories. 'Deidara…Kyo…Sarutobi…Itachi…' She remembered that they all brought happy memories.

"We'll help you. No one should go through that, especially the children. Sensei?"

"Right. Just be ready because if he hired Zabuza then there might be other shinobi."

"Sensei, we wouldn't be here if we didn't already that. It's our job to protect the innocent!" Sumari declared with determination shining in her eyes.

* * *

"The message was delivered. She's not that strong yet and she has no control over the Kyuubi's power." The mystery man reported.

"It's to be expected, she is after all only a child. We still have a few years until we need to act. For now we can observe and maybe give them a little 'push' in the right direction?" The older man suggested.

The candle light reflected his bicolor eyes.

* * *

**AN: Done! Wanted to get this done before my next game. I should be doing my government homework right now but I figured I owed this to you guys. Chapters have been coming easier now so I how I can get one out maybe every month. Once again don't mind the mistakes.**

**Preview:**

"You should be careful next time."

"Be quiet Haku! Next time that kid is going to die."

"You have the same eyes as me. Tell me do you have someone precious?"

"Why are you doing this? We could've been friends!"

"I am but a broken tool; there is no need for a broken tool…kill me, please."

"More blood, everywhere, why won't it come off!"

**9/25/11**


	5. Poison & Wine

**_A Hanyou's Story_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not and will never own Naruto. Credit for Sumari goes to BadCat7809._**

* * *

**"We'll help you. No one should go through that, especially the children. Sensei?"**

**"Right. Just be ready because if he hired Zabuza then there might be other shinobi."**

**"Sensei, we wouldn't be here if we didn't already that. It's our job to protect the innocent!" Sumari declared with determination shining in her eyes.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Poison & Wine**

After Tazuna's little speech, Team 7 was more than ready to help the defenseless village, Sumari in particular, whose village was destroyed when she was little, resulting in the death of her entire family.

Jiraiya was proud of his students; most Gennin would have been too frightened at the prospect of fighting an A-Ranked shinobi. He was really worried about Hikari though. The seal wasn't supposed to malfunction like that! When they reached Tazuna's house that was the first thing he was going to check.

"Are we there yet?" came the whining voice of the resident Jinchuuriki. Sumari looked back and couldn't help but roll her eyes at how pathetic her teammate looked.

Hikari, getting a piggy-back ride from Kyo, had bandages across her arms and face. Overall, she looked like she just fought a war, Sumari concluded. But she wouldn't want her teammate any other way. Hikari was different, not a bad different, just different. She wasn't like anything the villagers said she was. If she looked closely, she could see herself in Hikari; just a lonely girl whose family died and no one cared. You could say that's why she took the role of Hikari's 'older sister'. She was still ten, after all!

"Shut it brat! Your voice is getting on my nerves!"

"Stop being so mean Kyo-chan." Oh she did not just go there. 3…2…1... "KYOOOO!"

Sumari had to stifle a giggle at Hikari who was now lying on the ground after being dropped by Kyo.

"Hmph…serves you right; you know how much I hate those ridiculous nicknames you give me!"

Hikari's lower lip began to twitch and she had the kicked puppy face equipped with the watery eyes. The great Kyuubi could not resist her, not after that face. But as he tried apologizing, Hikari gave him the cold shoulder and ignored him the rest of the way.

Looking at Tazuna, Sumari could see him watching the exchange in amusement.

"They are one of a kind, you know. I've never seen someone able to be so carefree yet so serious. She means well but I wish she would stay carefree and not hide behind so many masks."

"Children are an amazing thing to watch. You never know what they will pull. I am risking everything so that someday the children of my village might one day be able to act like this."

"We'll beat Gato and save your village!" Sumari said with conviction.

Tazuna looked at her in surprise before turning his attention back to the road. These kids kept surprising him and for some reason they were giving him hope that he has never had before. They were making him believe that what they say was possible and after that battle he was starting to believe they **could** it.

"Tazuna, how much longer until we reach your house?" Jiraiya inquired a few minutes later, interrupting the bridge builder's thoughts.

"Not much longer."

True to his word not 5 minutes later they were entering his home.

"We are here." Walking through the door, he was immediately attacked by his young grandson, Inari.

"Grandfather, we were so worried!" Letting go of his grandfather, Inari finally noticed the others. "Who are they?" he demanded, not politely.

"These are the shinobi who are going to protect me while I finish the bridge. They are some of the best."

Inari turned to look at Team 7 carefully before running out of the house crying.

"Please don't mind my son, he is a little…" Here, he struggled to find the right word.

"Crybaby?" Kyo offered before he was elbowed in the stomach by Hikari.

"He's had a rough time lately." Tazuna supplied.

"Well why don't you all settle in and I'll call you when dinner is ready?" Tsunami suggested.

A chorus of yes ma'am answered politely.

Once in the privacy of their room, Jiraiya informed the team of what he planned for them for the next week, knowing that Zabuza would be fully recovered and out looking for revenge by then.

"When we are not on guard duty I expect you all to be training and resting. I want you to be prepared for when Zabuza attacks; we don't know if he will have anyone with him so you need to be ready for anything."

"Of course sensei."

"Good. Now I need to speak with you alone Hikari." He glanced at the other two when he said this.

Sharing a look with his partner, Kyo allowed himself to be pulled out of the room by Sumari.

Getting right to the point, Jiraiya told his goddaughter that he needed to see the seal on her stomach to make sure it was functioning properly.

Hikari hesitantly pulled her shirt up to expose her abdomen then laid down on the futon.

After studying the seal and mentally comparing it to what he remembered, it found it to be missing a few pieces.

"Hikari, when you release Kyo, did this seal change at all?"

"Ya, a little. But nothing else happened! I mean, Kyo is still bound to me." She tried to reassure him.

"Did Kyo ever explain what this seal will allow?" Jiraiya asked while studying the new seal intently.

"From what I remember, he said it would allow him freedom. He didn't elaborate on much else and to be honest at the time I didn't really care."

"How can you not care Hikari! This seal is one-of-a-kind! No one knows how it works; for all we know you could be slowly dying because of the change!" he demanded angrily.

"I'm not! Besides Kyo would never do that to me, I'm all he has left."

"Really, or is he all you have left? Hikari you need to start trusting other people. There are people out there that care about you, not the Jinchuuriki, you!" The sannin begged of her.

"Really, because to me, Kyo is all I have left. He was there for me when no one else was. I was important to him when everyone else told me to die! So tell me, if other people care about me, where were they? Where were YOU?" She countered.

"Kari…I'm sorry, it wasn't supposed to be like this. Kushina's labor was all planned out; nothing was supposed to go wrong. You were going to be so spoiled. All Minato could talk about was his little princess and how you were going to surpass him one day. You were supposed to be loved!"

"…He called me his princess?" Hikari whispered, shocked.

"I've never seen them as happy as when Kushina was pregnant."

"Then why did she leave me? Why was I left all alone if she loved me so much?" She was so confused now.

"I don't know but your knowledge on your mother is wrong! She loved you and would never willingly leave you. Something had to have happened to her."

"Yeah something happen to her, she abandoned me because I became a demon in her eyes!" She stated bitterly.

"That's not true!" He yelled at his god-daughter.

"And why isn't it?" Hikari challenged.

"Because she was the previous Kyuubi host! She was a Jinchuuriki since her Academy days and never once did she believe herself to be a demon."

Hikari was frozen in shock. Her entire world was crumbing around her. "I feel so lost Ero-sennin."

"That's what I'm here for." Jiraiya gathered her in his arms as she began to sob. 'Kushina, what happened to you?'

* * *

The tension at the dinner table that night was thick. All day, Hikari avoided Kyo and refused to talk to anyone. Jiraiya was the only one acting the same. Finally Kyo couldn't stand it anymore.

"If you have something to say, say it!"

"What else have you been keeping from me? What else have you lied to me about?" Even though it was a whisper, it echoed throughout the room. Looking up, Hikari's broken eyes stared into the blood red eyes of the one person she had trusted above all else.

Shocked, Kyo tried to find the right words to say. "I…I don't know what you're talking about." Looking to Jiraiya, he found his sensei looking straight at him, shaking his head.

"Everything about my mother, it was all a lie! Were you just using me for some form of sick pleasure? Was I just someone to pass the time with until you found freedom? I was so naïve to actually believe that you would care for me!" Tears were streaming down her face and her true age really began to show. She was still just a 10 year old girl who was confused and so alone in the world.

Turning to Jiraiya, Kyo decided to let his frustration with him show. "Why did you tell her? You had no right!"

"She had every right to know! This is her life and her family; you don't decide what happens to it, especially not after what you forced her father to do."

"That wasn't my fault; I was forced to do that."

"It was you're inability to control your emotions and your thirst for vengeance."

"You don't know the full story. None of you do. What I have done, I've done to protect Hikari. She is my life now; I don't want to go back to what I once was!"

"Don't tell me this; tell it to the one you hurt." Looking around for Hikari, she was nowhere to be found nor was Sumari.

"She left and Sumari took off after her."

"Find her and when you tell her the truth, you need to come clear about _everything_." Jiraiya ordered his student. 'She needs to be prepared and this is the first step.'

* * *

"You know, when my parents were killed I didn't know what to do. I felt so alone, like no one could care for me. As time went on it got a little better but nothing can ever take away that pain. I've come to realize that that pain is what made me, me." Sumari told Hikari.

"What are you trying to get at?" She snapped at her teammate, finally stopping to confront her.

"You may feel so alone right now but you have so many people standing by you, ready to help if you should fall. Don't let this pain control your life." Sumari took a few steps towards the younger girl, hoping she would understand what she was saying.

"I think I can manage; I have been my whole life." The hollowness in her voice shocked the older girl.

"How you're doing it isn't healthy." Sumari was about to let this issue drop, but it seemed Hikari was done with it.

"What I do isn't your business! I don't need people pretending to care about me." With that Hikari took off faster than Sumari could track.

"But I'm not pretending." Whispered after the Jinchuuriki, never to be heard.

"You should be careful next time." A young ninja chuckled.

* * *

"Be quiet Haku! Next time that kid is going to die." The older man growled, roughly ripping off his bloody bandages.

"There's something different about that girl. She reminds me of myself a little." Haku said as he began to apply ointment to the injuries of his teacher.

"Don't start having feelings for that kid. Remember, it is our job to kill the bridge builder and anyone who gets in our way." Though the man didn't seem too thrilled about the idea.

"You're right. I'm sorry Zabuza-sama." Haku tightened the bandages and stepped back to examine his work.

Noticing Zabuza twitch in pain, Haku decided to go out and collect more herbs.

* * *

As he walked to the isolated field, his mind wondered to the little red-head once again.

"There's just something about her that keeps pulling me in. I'm sorry Zabuza."

Finally entering the clearing, Haku was surprised to find someone already there.

"Isn't a little early for a child to be out alone?" he pointed out politely.

"I'm not a child." Was the angry response.

"From my point of view, no matter what you say, you are a child." He answered in amusement.

Turning around, Hikari was shocked at the gentleness she saw in the stranger's eyes.

'She's different than she was a few days ago. Her eyes are so broken now; what happened?'

Walking a few more feet, Haku sat down across from Hikari and they silently took in each other's appearance and decided neither was a threat.

"You know you remind me of myself." Haku finally spoke. At Hikari's confused look, he elaborated. "You have the same eyes as me. Eyes that are broken and lonely and you only want someone to notice you."

Hikari's eyes widened because those were the exact feelings she was felt.

"Tell me, do you have someone precious?"

"I don't know; I used to but he lied to me my entire life! How can you live life if you have no one precious to live it with?" she questioned, desperately wanting an answer.

"That life is a half life; a life without love is a life not worth living. I may not know this person, but maybe he was trying to protect you and the only way he could think of was by lying. You should ask for the whole story because you might be surprised." Haku advised.

"You are very wise but how can I trust him not to lie to me again?"

"Follow your heart; somehow it will lead you in the right direction." He began walking away, having collected all the herbs he needed.

"What is your name?" She shouted after him.

"My name? My name is Haku." He offered with a smile.

"My name is Namikaze Hikari and I would like to thank you for helping. Not many people do." She looked him in the eye and Haku saw how much this really meant to her.

Smiling Haku told Hikari that she was someone precious to him now before walking away.

Unable to contain her smile, Hikari took off running towards the house. She knew now what she had to do.

* * *

"Umph! Jeez watch where you're going!" Hikari yelled, rubbing her butt after a hard collision had sent her to the ground.

"I could say the same to you."Recognizing that voice, she quickly looked up.

"Kyo! What are you doing out here?"

"I've been looking for you! You never came back last night; I thought something happened to you!"

"I'm sorry I worried you, I just needed to sort everything out." Was the meek reply.

"You don't have to apologize. It was my fault and I've come to make everything right." Kyo softly stated.

"You mean you're going to tell me everything?" Surprise was evident on her face.

"Yes everything."

* * *

**AN: Sorry about the delay. I've had this on my computer for about 2 months now and i wanted to do more but it wasn't fitting so I decided to do a final check and post it. I hope you like it!**

**Preview:**

"Why are you doing this? We could've been friends!"

"I am but a broken tool; there is no need for a broken tool…kill me, please."

"More blood, everywhere, why won't it come off!"

"It's not easy, to carry this burden, but you are stronge. Afterall, if the daught of the 4th Hokage can't do it, who can?"

* * *

**PLEASE REVIEW! I need to hear some feedback. **

**3/11/12**


	6. Everything Falls Apart

_**A Hanyou's Story**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not and will never own Naruto. Credit for Sumari goes to BadCat7809.**_

* * *

**"You don't have to apologize. It was my fault and I've come to make everything right." Kyo softly stated.**

**"You mean you're going to tell me everything?" Surprise was evident on her face.**

**"Yes everything."**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Falls Apart**

Silence had fallen over the pair. Neither one knowing how to breach such a delicate topic. It was Hikari who finally broke the tense silence.

"Why don't you start at the beginning, when you were sealed?"

Kyo sighed. He wasn't really in the right state of mind at that time. But he would tell Hikari none the less because he promised to come completely clean on everything.

"You know the story of my creation, right? My brothers and sisters, we are all part of the Juubi, separated by the Rikudo Sennin." The former demon carried on after seeing her nod.

"I mostly avoided the human conflicts, that was until Hashirama was born. He was the only shinobi to wield the power to control my siblings and myself. I fought alongside that man for years before I was sealed into his wife and my siblings were separated across the nations. I resented the human for caging me. I had fought so many battles for him and that was how he repaid me!? His wife, Uzumaki Mito, was a strong woman. She kept me under control until her dying moment where I was being transfer into a younger Uzumaki, your mother."

"You mean, I was the only one to contain you since birth?"

"Yes but that was never any ones intention. You were supposed to be normal…and happy." Was the quiet response.

Hikari was hurt. Why was she the only person that had to deal with being a jinchuuriki since birth? Kyo carried on knowing what comes next will hurt her more.

"Kushina was strong, one of the strongest kunoichi I have come across. She suppressed my influence and chakra so deep that not once was I able to communicate with her…until the end. When your mother was pregnant she wasn't able to focus all her chakra on suppressing me so I was able to assert some control when the she was at her weakest. Haven't you wondered why you have whiskers? That was the influence of my chakra in Kushina's womb."

"I thought these were birthmarks though?" Hikari breathed out in wonder, touching her cheeks delicately.

"They are, just not natural birthmarks."

The two were quiet, not really comfortable with the conversation. Kyo knew he had to continue though.

"Needless to say I hated her and she hated me. When Kushina went into labor everything was fine and going according to their plan. Then a mysterious man showed up and I saw a crack. It was small but I knew I could break it…and I did. Kushina was going to be my first kill and I was going to enjoy it tremendously." Some malicious glee seeped into his voice.

It freaked Hikari out, hearing him speak of killing her mother like that. Ever since she released him from his seal, Kyo was fairly passive not wanting to fight.

"A fog clouded my vision though and I couldn't control my actions anymore. I had this bloodlust that demanded I kill everything in my path. The only thing I remember was your father and mother containing me long enough to seal me inside of you."

"Wait…they were both there? No one ever told me that!" Lies after lies were unfolding. It was unbelievable how little she knew about her past.

"That's because when they found you, only Minato's body was there. Someone took her after she passed out."

Before she could ask, Kyo elaborated further, "For some reason your mother survived the sealing. I cannot say why. If everything was done correctly, which it was, both of them should've died."

During his explanation of his escape, Kyo had gotten up and moved so he was no longer facing Hikari. He could not stand to see the look of hate that would grace her face once she heard what he did to her parents. Needless to say, the former demon was stunned when small arms encircled his waist.

"You don't have to turn your back on me. I accept you completely, even your past. You're all I have Kyo." Hikari whispered into her best friends back.

There were no words to describe the emotions that suddenly overcame Kyo with that declaration. He knew then and there, that through hell and back, he would never let this sweet angel leave his side.

They remained embracing each other for the longest time until Hikari asked Kyo the question he had been dreading the entire time.

"Why did you lie about Kushina?"

"I didn't want to share you with anyone and I knew that if you ever found out she was alive and looking for you, you would leave me. I did the only thing I could to prevent that…I made you hate her so much, that even if you found out she was alive, you would never want to see her. It was selfish of me and sometimes I questioned my actions but I knew that if I ever told you the truth, I would lose you."

"It's fine. You weren't that wrong about my mother though. If she is alive, why hasn't she come back? Maybe she had a change of heart and decided she was better off without me?" Hikari mumbled angrily.

Kyo chose not to respond, knowing that this topic was still sensitive.

Looking at the sky, he was shocked to discover the sun at its highest point. They had missed lunch and the team meeting! Jiraiya was going to kill him!

"Heey…umm…we should head back now if you don't want me to be killed." Kyo would never admit that his voice squeaked but Hikari would swear on her life she saw drops of sweat drip down his face.

The all powerful Kyuubi was not scared of a puny human; no he was scared of something much worse: Jiraiya, the self-proclaimed mega pervert, who had no boundaries when it came to protecting his goddaughter. He never wanted to go researching with that man EVER again!

* * *

Walking, more sprinting in Kyo's case, to Tazuna's house was a quiet affair. Things were fixed between them but slowly everything would go back to normal. They were unaware of the threat lurking behind the front door-

"WHERE do you think you've been?" Sumari demanded once the two entered Tazuna's house. "Do you know how worried I was about you Hikari? I thought you had been killed or-or-or kidnapped!" The older girl was almost in tears, though of rage or relief was unclear.

Hikari was too shock to even respond. Never had anyone cared that much over her. To be honest, she didn't know how to feel about it.

Sumari turned to attention to the demon hiding in the doorway, "And you…Who do you think you are, going off alone after her? Did you even consider taking me with you? No, you decided that you were too good to ask anyone-" Sumari's rant was cut short by Jiraiya, who placed his hand on her shoulder.

In a rare moment of seriousness, Jiraiya knew now was the time he had to step up and be the sensei.

"Calm yourself Sumari. Your teammates had something they need to resolve between the two of them only. It was resolved, right?" Jiraiya directed the last bit at the fidgeting red head.

"Hnn."

"I'll take that as a yes." Satisfied that this was no longer an issue, the aged sannin breeched a new topic, a much more important one. "We need to talk about your training. Zabuza isn't dead and if I am correct in what happened, he should be able to fight in 5 days. This doesn't leave us much time to train and plan our strategy."

This bombshell left everyone speechless.

"We need someone here and at the bridge. We don't know what tricks Gato will try." Supplied Sumari. She knew how weak men, like Gato, worked.

Though Jiraiya knew that to be true, he hated the fact that the team was now unable to train together. That was the one thing he needed to teach them. Individually, they may be powerful but that means nothing if they are unable to work as a unit. "This puts us in a dilemma. As a team, a cohesive unit, teamwork is essential. If we have any chance of beating these men, all of us need to work as one unit. Our last battle showed how easy it was to separate us. This cannot happen again. You are a team, so start acting like it!"

'Maybe these kids can save us.' Tazuna thought to himself as he observed the looks of determination slowly blossom on the faces of the two kunoichi. Kyo carried an arrogant smirk like this was what he had been waiting for.

And it was. This was the man who, along with his two teammates, impressed Hanzo the Salamander; became the first shinobi in generations to master the sage arts of the toads of Mt. Myoboku. This was the sensei of the Forth Hokage.

This was the team that was going to survive. No death was going to befall this team, so long as he was still breathing!

Hikari knew this was important. While Kyo had an excellent partnership with her, the communication with Sumari was elementary at best. They needed to connect with one another and she knew the perfect solution. " I can leave Yuki here to watch over Tsunami. If anything happens she'll alert me. It's not perfect but I don't think Gato will try anything until Zabuza is at 100%."

Yes, it was not perfect but Jiraiya knew he could work with it.

"Be prepared; I will accept nothing less than your complete attention from now on!" So began the start of the real Team 7. The team that would go down in legends.

* * *

They were right about the recovery period. Zabuza was completely healed after 5 days and he was ready for revenge. He was no longer going to hold back. Those kids made a fool out of him!

Haku allowed his master to rant about the Konoha shinobi but was worried about the little red head he met. The girl, she was just like him and something about her called to him. She was young, far too young to be on this mission. He knew though, that she was strong. His loyalty to Zabuza far outweighed the connection he felt for the young girl, Hikari. He would always remember her name though. She was his 'light'.

"Haku prepare yourself!" Zabuza ordered, shaking his apprentice about of his thoughts.

"Of course, Zabuza,"

Zabuza studied his young apprentice while he got ready. Haku had been uneasy since the mission began. First it was because of their tag along, Oni, now he was beginning to think something else was overshadowing his mind.

"What troubles you, Haku?"

"Nothing, Zabuza." At the piercing look, Haku sighed and admitted his fears. "I fear that this will be our last mission. A dark cloud hangs over us and I don't know what to make of it."

"Clear your mind and don't worry about trivial things. With the money Gato will give, we can return to Mist and start new. The new Mizukage is an old acquaintance of mine."

"What if Gato betrays us? You saw how scared he was of me!" Haku tried to make Zabuza see reason in his worry.

"This is exactly why he will not betray us. Fear is a powerful emotion that forces tiny men to submit to the will of their superiors." The swordsman gloated. He did not doubt for one second that Gato would ever think of betraying him. The man was all talk, he did not have the muscle to back it up. This would certainly be Zabuza's undoing.

'But it also causes them to do stupid, irrational things.' But Haku didn't voice this thought.

"Let's go, Haku!"

* * *

Back at Tazuna's house, the team was packing in preparation for the fight. They knew that today was the earliest Zabuza would attack. They had to be prepared. Kyo and Sumari were packing more weapons and scrolls because they were going to the bridge. Hikari was staying to protect Inari and Tsunami in case Gato or Zabuza attacked the house. Jiraiya was going to scout the village and see if anything was amiss. Each team member had a head-set and radio in case something happened.

Jiraiya was worried about leaving Hikari alone but knew that she was more that capable of looking after herself. It was an instinct that grew after learning she grew up alone. And, it was his job to worry about her. He trusted Kyo to protect Sumari so he had no problem sending them off to the bridge. He was going out on his own in hopes of finding the enemy's base and destroying it before anything bad could happen.

Hikari was mad that Sumari got to go with Kyo to the bridge. To her, the bridge was fascinating. Never before had she seen something so gigantic and beautiful. She wanted to study it more. Sadly Jiraiya thought her talents were better suited at protecting the house.

Her day turned from bad to worse when Inari murmured horrible comments about her team at breakfast. That was the final straw. This kid needed to learn that life throws you shit but it is up to you on how you deal with it. Okay, making him cry was not part of the plan but hey, she was only like 3 years older than the kid and she went through worse.

Flashback:

Tsunami was busying herself with breakfast. She was not used to cooking for more than 3 people so the last week meals took a little longer to cook.

Inari was sitting at the table by himself, Hikari was always a late sleeper. Soon the smell of food woke her up and her half awake mind led her to the kitchen. Sitting down, she finally realized there was only two other people in the room and not six. Tsunami told her that her father wanted to get an early start today so left before the sun rose.

Tsunami, a quiet woman who treasured her family, thanked the young girl for all their team had done for them.

"It is so brave of you children to stand up and protest those who can't protect themselves. My husband…you remind me so much of him." Tsunami complamented her team.

This struck something in Inari though. No longer could he sit around and watch these pretend ninjas act all high and mighty, like they weren't about to be killed! They didn't know or understand the kind of suffering his village has went through since Gato took over. How could they? He had to voice these thoughts.

You could hear a pin drop, the silence was that deafening. Tsunami was struck speechless by her son's words while Hikari was speechless for a completely different reason.

"_Demons don't belong here, go back to the rest of your kind!"_

"_Mommy who is she?" "THAT is a demon. You stay far away from her!"_

"_Your parents are dead. I am sorry Kari-chan."_

"_We don't serve your kind! If I ever see you around here again, I'll kill you!"_

"_Darkness is where we find ourselves when we have nowhere else to go. Is that why you're here? Have you finally realized that no one will ever care about you?"_

"_You killed 15 people!"_

"_Please…I'm so hungry…I need…food…"_

Her life was nothing BUT suffering! But she didn't let that stop her. No, she succeeded and proved all those who tried to stop her, wrong. This child knew nothing of real suffering. He had a loving family and home with food. She was lucky at times growing up if she even had food!

"Shut up! Don't sit there and patronize my team and I. we promised that we would protect Tazuna and I don't go back on my word! Stop being a cry baby and do something about your situation, like your Grandfather! He is out there risking his life for you, you ungrateful brat. Don't take your frustration out on me because you are too weak to change anything!"

There was so much more she could say to that kid but she knew anything else she would likely regret. She wasn't a mean person. She actually sympathized with the kid but at the same time she turned her weakness into strength and became who she was today. Finishing breakfast, Hikari returned to her room to gather her gear.

As she left the kitchen, Inari let out a chocked sob. Maybe it was time to stop crying and time to start doing something! Tsunami could only look on. She could no longer baby her son. He had to learn to stand up on his own two feet.

* * *

Why did she have to have so many scrolls!? Half of these have to be Kyo's! Hikari thought to herself as she rummaged through her things.

Yuki sat curled up on a pile of blankets, watching her master in amusement. She did so enjoy the human world.

"Master Kyuubi is not accompanying us today?" The young fox questioned. She loved the older fox demon and enjoyed everything he was able to teach her.

"No, and how many times do I have to tell you? Don't call him Master; it inflates his already massive ego." She mumbled the last part.

Now Yuki knew this and thoroughly enjoyed Hikari's reaction. Not once did the foxes call their master's companion Mistress. To this day it was something that irked her. They didn't call her that out of disrespect it was just that she wasn't their 'contract' holder. Contract said loosely because Kyo was the master of the Summons. All the foxes were enamored with Hikari though and would listen to anything she had to say. Truthfully, Yuki knew Hikari didn't care about the titles.

"Yuki, I need you to investigate the perimeter and contact me if you catch a foreign seat. Jiraiya-sensei isn't sure if Zabuza will attack the bridge or here so I need to make sure there is enough time to get Tsunami and Inari to safety if he does come here."

Just as she was packing her last kunai, Hikari noticed Yuki with her nose in the air. With just a look, Yuki knew her question.

"Two men, they smell of blood but not human blood. They're here!" The fox finished urgently.

This caused Hikari to jump up and before she made it to her door, the sound of shattering glass broke through the air. "Go Yuki!" Following the mammal, Hikari discovered, not Zabuza, but two samurai dragging Tsunami away.

Preparing a doton, Hikari is startled halfway through the hand signs by a sudden scream. Inari, who had been hiding, rushed out to attack the samurai.

'Now is not the time to decide to be the hero!' But she did use this to her advantage. With Inari's distraction, she was able to get Tsunami and take out the two with a precise hit to the nerves.

"Thanks Inari, with your distraction I was able to get your mom away safely." Even though she could've done it without his help, it was her way of making him feel better.

Realizing that if the samurai were sent to the house, then Zabuza was going to the bridge, Hikari radioed her team with this discovery.

It was too late though. Kyo and company had already found the body of the bridge workers. Jiraiya and Hikari headed to the bridge, hoping to make it there in time.

* * *

When Zabuza revealed himself and his accomplice, Kyo was able to breathe a sigh of relief. That _man_ was not with them. This made this way easier. He was the Kyuubi, a real demon. He could easily take out this cheap imitator and his sidekick!

"It was unfortunate for you to come here and have me as your opponent seeing as I haven't been allowed to kill anyone in a long time." So maybe Hikari didn't mellow him out. Hey, he was the Kyuubi and he enjoyed hurting people (that threaten him).

"I know your true identity, Kyuubi the Nine tailed fox. Oni also told me your weakness. Your powers can be suppressed with this seal. You will not be able to fight me with your demonic charka." Zabuza was confident in his abilities but going up against a real demon terrified him. Before he left, Oni gave him this seal, explaining that it was created by the First Hokage to suppress the power of a jinchuuriki. He assured him that it would work on the Kyuubi. What Zabuza failed to realize when Oni left was his position. In reality, Zabuza mattered little to Oni. What the man truly wanted was the knowledge of how to contain Kyuubi and his container. This experiment will put them a step closer to achieving that.

"So he goes by Oni now? Pity, his real name fit him better; more _human_." The last part was said in disgust, whether in regards of the person or term, Sumari didn't know. Truthfully, she was slightly frightened of this new Kyo, or was it Kyuubi? She had known him since he and Hikari entered the Academy. Everything, all his little comments and cryptic answers, made since. He had alluded to his insatisfiable bloodlust before but it was discarded as the actions of an attention seeking orphan. Now…was she safe with a demon on her team?

What was she thinking!? She knew Kyo and Hikari. In the time they spent as a team she had seen nothing but loyalty and love, nothing that would suggest a demon or someone that would harm her. If anything, she was the most well protected gennin of her generation!

Sumari shook her head. She had a job to do; she couldn't distract herself with unfounded doubts about her teammate. She realized that Zabuza's accomplice was still out there somewhere and was most likely looking for an opening. Tazuna was her mission now. The hopes and dreams of an entire village rested in her ability to protect this man from danger.

"The mist…it's getting denser. Sumari, protect Tazuna. I trust you." Kyo instructed his teammate. He knew she was probably a little shaken at the recent revelation but he had to get her attention on the mission until Hikari could get here.

"Just don't die Kyo." This relaxed the demon if only a marginally. This statement was Sumari's way of telling him that he was still her teammate and she trusted him.

Back to the fight, Haku, who was appeared on the bridge once the mist was dense enough, knew his job was to kill the bridge builder. Pulling out his senbon, he prepared his attack.

Sumari was unprepared for the sudden attack from her right. Three senbon embedded themselves into her arm. On alert, she pulled out her kunai. Genjustu was out and seeing as it was her main weapon, she was at a disadvantage. She was already losing and the battle just started!

Another barrage of senbon appeared, this time aimed at Tazuna. The attacks are so fast, Sumari can only how to dodge and deflect from any major organ. To protect Tazuna, she mimics Hikari and created a shadow clone to guard her back.

Again and again, the attacks just wouldn't stop! This ninja wasn't aiming for vitals, no, he was toying with them! Why else would he hide in the shadows when he could easily kill them? Glancing to Tazuna, Sumari had to suppress a grimace. A few senbon had found their target. Tazuna was strong though. He knew he had to be strong or else he would die. He could now that he was wrong about these shinobi. He brought them here under false pretense so it was his responsibility to do everything in his power to make their job easier.

"Why are you toying with us!?" Sumari yelled into the mist, frustrated at her weakness. "Just kill us already!"

"You may not believe me but I do not wish to kill you. Please hand over the bridge builder and I will let you go." Haku's voice rang out.

Kyo was able to hear this declaration and scoffed. A ninja that didn't want to kill, especially one trained by Zabuza? Before he could analyze it any further, Zabuza's sword appeared at his midsection. It went right through and Zabuza for the briefest of moments thought he won, until the Kyo in front of him turned to dirt.

"Substitution, the most basic for of ninjustu yet you still fell for it. I am starting to doubt this 'demon' title of yours." Kyo's voice rang out mockingly. "In fact, I willing to bet I can beat you using nothing but substitution."

"Don't be so cocky kid!" Zabuza growled, forgetting that while the shinobi in front of him appears to be a kid, he was in fact fighting a thousand year old demon.

"A kid, I am not." Killer intent flooded the bridge and froze everyone with fear. "Let me show you what a real demon can do!"

Everything was quiet after that statement. Zabuza could no longer sense Kyo's presence, no breathing, nothing! The anticipation was the worst. The knowledge that at any moment he could be killed, quickened his heart beat. Never before had the 'Demon of the Mist' been in this situation. HE was always the cause of these emotions in his enemy's!

Haku was the first to recover from the intense killer intent and attacked fast. Just as the senbon were about to hit Tazuna, a gust of wind stole their power and the weapons fell harmlessly to the feet of their intended victim.

Surprised, Haku looked up and saw the girl from the forest. Expect now she wasn't a little girl, she was a shinobi trained to kill and the look in her eye to do it.

"Sumari, get Tazuna out of here. I can take it from here."

"While your confidence is admirable, you have no hope of winning. I do not wish to kill you, I only require the bridge builder!" Haku demanded emotionlessly, though inside he was begging.

"It is our mission to protect the bridge builder. A shinobi's main priority is to the mission, not his life!" Hikari stated like it had been drilled into her mind a thousand times. Tired of talking she released a kunai surrounded with wind charka. It was fast but Haku was faster. He was able to dodge it while sending his own senbon which struck her right arm.

"You are fast, faster that I thought." Hikari grunted as she took out the senbon. "But I achieved what I intended."

Looking around, Haku saw what she meant. When she forced his attention on her, she allowed her teammate to escape with the bridge builder.

With the bridge builder gone, Haku's focus shifted towards Zabuza. He knew his master was in danger so he had to finish this battle quickly. Activating his bloodline, Haku hoped to knock out Hikari quickly.

Seeing the ice mirrors form, Hikari went on the defensive, this was a justu she was unfamiliar with. Fire looked like the best option.

As with Sumari before, the attack came from out of nowhere, only this time instead of three it was more like 50!

"What is this!?"

"It is my kekkai-genkai; the reason my father brutally murdered my mother. This is my curse and the only use I can be for Zabuza."

"You're from the Mist; part of the purge?" This was shocking. Sarutobi had told her about those a few years back when the Uchiha massacre occurred. He told her that people often feared power that which they could not understand.

"I do not wish to kill you but for Zabuza I will become the shinobi he needs me to be!"

"You don't have to! Trust me, I know what it feels like to be saved by someone. I do! But you don't have to change who you are for them!"

"I am nothing but Zabuza's tool and to be wielded as he wishes." Haku unleashed another attack. This time he was aiming at her legs to slow her mobility.

His aim was true. At least five senbon hit her left leg. With a grunt of pain, Hikari feel to her right knee in pain. One went through her knee and another pinched a nerve in her calf, locking it.

'What am I going to do? He is too fast for my eyes! I don't know any fire justu to melt these mirrors so what are my options?' Knowing her best option now was to dodge, Hikari struggled through the pain to stand on her feet. Not that she was completely defenseless; she still had her wind jutsu…that's it! He may be fast but if she planned it just right, she might be able to actually hit him when he leaves a mirror.

Preparing the hand signs (tiger-snake-ram), Hikari released the vortex of wind. While the jutsu, futon: Kami Oroshi, didn't stop Haku, it gave Hikari what she was looking for. If she could time it right with the perfect jutsu, she might be able to knock him out of the mirror.

Haku was a little weary after that last attack. It was close but not too close. He had to finish this fight before she devised another plan.

Hikari was ready. After closing her eyes and concentrating, she was able to pin point where Haku was, thanks to her advance hearing (a trait acquired from Kyo). Taking a deep breath and putting some of Kyo's charka into the jutsu, Hikari released it, confident it would hit its target.

'_Futon:Renkudan'_

After hearing a body hit the ground, Hikari opened her eyes and for the first time, saw her enemy without his mask. The boy, Haku, from the woods was the masked ninja across from her.

"Bu-but, why?" Hikari asked, so confused and…betrayed?

Looking up, Haku could see the hurt flashing across her eyes. It torn at him that he was the cause of it. "Please, kill me."

"NO! Tell me why! Why did you help me?" Haku could barely understand the last bit, it was spoken so low.

"I meant what I said: you remind me of myself. I had to help you, my mind would allow nothing less. Please, you must understand what I am feeling! I have been defeated; I am of no use anymore!"

Seeing her struggle, Haku convinced her with what he said next. "If you don't kill me now, you are taking the chance that I will come back and kill someone you love. Can you take that chance?"

It was with great reluctance that Hikari honored his request. Giving him some mercy, she made it quick. Haku's last words were 'Thank you' before Hikari stabbed him in the heart.

Looking at boy (in the end he was only a few years older than her), Hikari felt something. With nothing but good intentions, Haku had helped her discover something important about herself. No one had done that before. He gave her something to fight for. A precious person (now it was people; so much has changed in a small amount of time).

Then it hit her: the blood. Her hands were covered in blood. Haku's clothes were also dyed red. It triggered flashbacks to a time when she was little, when Kyo was not around to protect her.

_**Flashback:**_

A child of three was walking outside the orphanage. Rain was pouring and it was a strange sight to see the child without any adults nearby. To the child, Hikari, it wasn't that strange. She was left to her own devices most of the time.

A shinobi slowly approached her with a smile. To Hikari, the man seemed trustworthy. As a child, Hikari had been a trusting and bubbly child. It soon changed though.

With the promise to take her home, Hikari let the shinobi lead her 'home'. Sadly, the shinobi had other plans.

This particular shinobi was familiar with the Kyuubi and his father, who had been around during the reign of the First Hokage, told of its alliance with Uchiha Madara. The feelings of contempt grew when it suddenly appeared four years previous. He wanted to kill the demon before it had a chance to attack the village again.

Leading Hikari into an alley, the shinobi cornered her and drew his kunai to make it fast. He did not want to kill the girl but so long as she contained the demon, she remained a threat. The only mercy he could give her was a painless kill.

Hikari began to panic. This wasn't anywhere near home. A feeling starting from her stomach began to consume her and the last thing she saw before she blacked out was a kunai heading straight for her.

When Hikari came to, all that was left of the shinobi was a mutilated body with blood splattering the walls. Not only was it on the walls but she was covered head to toe with his blood. It was the work of a demon.

* * *

When the flashbacks ended, Hikari was left frantic. She had to get the blood off, NOW! It couldn't be on her, she couldn't relive that, not again. No amount of clawing or scratching would take the blood away. Soon she was in hysterics. Her cries were heartbreaking and the sight made you want to cry.

"Blood, everywhere! Why…why won't it come off! I need to get it off! No, no, no. Why…won't…it…come…OFF!"

Kyo, sensing her emotions, delivered the finishing blow to Zabuza. When he saw her, he understood what was wrong. The sight of blood (created by her actions) sets her off. Seeing that she was just causing herself harm, Kyo tried to reason with her but she refused to listen. His last resort was to trap her hands. She fought every way though and soon she was once again free. If he didn't do something fast, Hikari would go into a full blown panic attack and that wasn't something Kyo knew how to deal with.

Seeing the mist diminish, Sumari and Tazuna returned to investigate and what they saw shocked them. Hikari was still trying to claw the blood off her arms but Kyo had her in his arms trying to call her down. She was crying 'Get it off' over and over again. It was a scene neither person knew how to take. Hikari had been nothing but a strong, carefree girl in their presence and to realize that she was hiding something this deep, hit something.

"Kyo," Sumari began softly.

"I-sh-she just needs time!" he rushed out. This was not the Kyuubi speaking, nor an adult. This was a confused and distraught friend/brother who had no idea how to help. It made Sumari realize that Kyo was more like her than she first thought.

"You can stop a panic attack by holding her breath." At Kyo's confused look Sumari elaborated. "Kiss her and the attack should stop."

Looking down at his precious person, Kyo took a breath and leaned in closing his eyes. After a few seconds it seemed to work. Hikari was calming down, to the point where she no longer was scratching her skin off.

Kyo directed his attention towards Sumari, who understood the silent question. "After my family was killed, I used to seize up and panic attacks would set in almost every night. I learned to deal with them by holding my breath. Hikari was too far gone to understand so you had to hold her breath for her."

"Thank you." And this was the one time Kyo actually meant those two words. He was uncertain how Hikari would react to a panic attack. The last time anything close happened, she freaked and his charka took over her body. That was one thing he did not want Sumari or Tazuna seeing. So he truly was grateful for his teammates help.

Turning back to his partner, he discovered her staring blankly at her hands which had only spots of blood. He couldn't tell her it was going to be okay because he would be lying. For once he truly didn't know how this was going to end.

'clank' 'clank'

"My, how the mighty have fallen. HAHAHA! Defeated by a bunch of kids. Some demon you turned out to be Zabuza." A voice rang out from the edge of the bridge.

Seeing Tazuna stiffen, Sumari could only guess that the voice belonged to Gato. Turning around, she saw a short man with a hoard of samurai behind him. So, he couldn't even fight his own battles.

"Only the weak disrespect the dead." She coldly defended Zabuza. In the end, he too was a shinobi on a mission. While they may have been enemies this time, another time they could've been allies.

"-cough-I'm not dead yet kid –cough- Tell me, wh-where is Haku? Why is he not by my…side?" Zabuza spoke softly from where he collapsed minutes before. His voice carried a broken and …worried tone. Worried about his partner's well being?

"He's dead…He told me to kill him because you had no use for a broken tool. Is that how treated him? As nothing but a tool? He loved you, couldn't you see that. You were his only precious person!" Hikari shouted, breaking out of her trance.

"You don't need to say any more…It pained him to have to fight you…Haku fought not only for me…he fought for you guys too. He was too kind. I'm glad I got to face you guys in the end. You may be right…a shinobi is still a human…we may not be able to become emotionless tools."They could tell he was saying his last words. "Please, he was always by my side, the least I can do is to be beside him at the end. I know it cannot be, but I wish to go where you have gone. How I wish I could join you there Haku. How I wish to see you one last time." He finally closed his eyes but Kyo could still hear his heart beat.

It was with a heavy heart that Kyo fulfilled Zabuza's last request. As he was about to move away though a hand stop him. Whispered so quietly he had to strain his hearing, Kyo heard Zabuza's final warning.

"Ninja's crying over their enemy, how pathetic. The world is better off without that damn kid. Too bad I will never get him back for breaking my arm. He got what was coming to him in the end." Gato sneered. "I have wasted too much time here as it is. Finish them off and bring me the bridge builders HEAD!"

Something about Haku was different. He changed something in Hikari that had been broken for years. She owed him more than she could ever repay. So when she heard Zabuza's confession and Gato's biting words, she lost it. Her mind was still recovering from her panic attack so it was weak against the overwhelming power of the demon charka. A cloak began to form and before Kyo could stop her, she was lost in the sea of samurai, most of whom tried to escape once they saw her. None of them matter though, for her target was the coward hiding behind the group. He was the target of her rage and he would fall by her hand for all the suffering he caused!

He was dead before he hit the ground, three claw marks appearing across his chest.

She turned to face her teammates and found Jiraiya appearing at the entrance of the bridge. He was rushing towards them, more specifically, her. Turning to Sumari, she saw fear in her eyes. This is what caused her to 'wake up.' Never once, did she want to see fear in her teammate's eyes again.

The exhaustion, both physical and mental, finally caught up to Hikari and before anyone could reach her, she collapse.

"What happened? Did the seal break; I felt the pulse of demonic charka just before I got here and then I see this!? You told me the seal hadn't been broken!" Jiraiya had Kyo pinned to the ground by now, he was so furious.

"It's not broken! I wasn't lying!" Kyo knew he had to tell them what being a jinchuuriki meant for them to understand what just happened. "She's a jinchuuriki, this happens. During the fight with Oin and now, my charka took over her body because subconsciously she allowed it. Every jinchuuriki has to learn to control this. It will take time and she will need help to control it. But the seal is not broken."

Jiraiya removed himself from Kyo and after a searching look went to check on his goddaughter. He already knew this about jinchuuriki but he was under the impression that Minato's seal would prevent such a thing from happening. He needed to research this but for now he had to focus on his team and completing this mission.

* * *

'Just hold on Kari. You're stronger than this!' An unknown figure thought watching team seven. This was the man to find and heal Hikari when she was three. He knew the difficult road ahead of her. His only regret was that he could only help her from the shadows. "It won't be easy, carrying this burden, but you are strong. Afterall, if the daughter of the Forth can't do it, who can?"

* * *

Another unknown figure was quickly fleeing the scene. A closer look showed a Konoha headband. This wasn't a shinobi loyal to Sarutobi, this was a Root and he just saw the entire fight.

'Danzo-sama needs to know of this new development!'

With this information, Danzo would be able to publicly sabotage Uzumaki Hikari. Once the village knew what she had done, Sarutobi would no longer be able to protect her. She would be fair game and accidents are a common occurrence in a shinobi's life. She was no longer useful in the protection of Konoha.

* * *

The walk back was silent. A lot was on everyone's mind, mostly centered on the unconscious girl in Jiraiya's arms. The villagers had come to collect the injured workers along with the bodies of Zabuza and Haku at Sumari's request. Everything had changed. There was no avoiding the matter anymore. Team 7 needed to have a meeting. No more secrets, no more lies, there will be nothing but honesty from now on.

Kyo's mind was in a different place. He couldn't get Zabuza's last words out of his head. They were like an omen.

"**They're coming."**

Who exactly was coming?

* * *

**So maybe I just didn't care anymore? I don't know but I am sorry about the wait. It is unacceptable. I have had this on my laptop for literally months but I don't have the next few chapters planned out. Only later ones.  
If you see any inconsistences please point them out. I have not reviewed this chapter because I have been sitting in bed all day writing this and all I want to do now is post it. Like you, I am also trying to figure out where this is headed. The plot changes every time I start a new chapter or the manga reveals something completely plotline changing! Like the last few chapter with the whole, I'm Madara wait Obito thing! While the real Madara was dead! **

**I completely understand if you want to stop reading because the plot is so confusing. All I can say is I have pretty much the whole story mapped out expect the next couple chapters. This does not mean I will update frequently though. I try, believe me I do but I am my own worst critic.**

**Shout out to Dragonblaze66. For some reason you inspire me to right so thank you and anyone else who reads this story should thank them to. **

**Sorry there is no preview for the next chapter because I still have to figure what is going to happen!**


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